George w Quote by Ian Haney López
““From 1960 to 1970, as the New Deal expanded into the Great Society, the number of Americans in poverty declined from 40 million to under 25 million. During the 1970s, after the rise of dog whistle politics but before its full hijacking by rightwing oligarchs, the numbers in poverty remained steady. During the 1980s, as Reagan and then George H.W. Bush reigned, those in poverty soared to 35 million. At the end of Clinton’s second term in 2000, those mired in poverty had fallen to just above 30 million. But following the Great Recession that marked the end George W. Bush’s presidency, over 46 million Americans were in poverty.63 That’s an additional 16 million good folks pushed into the material and emotional hardship of destitution in just one decade.””
About This Quote
The passage outlines how U.S. poverty rates fluctuated with political eras, rising sharply during the 1980s and after the Great Recession, highlighting policy impact on material hardship.
In simple terms: Poverty numbers changed with policies, rising in the 80s and after 2008.
Key Takeaway
Policy choices affect poverty levels.
Themes
politics
economics
social policy
inequality
Mood
concerned
analytical
Type
historical
policy analysis
When to use this quote
- government budgeting
- social safety nets
- community support programs
- economic research
Key Concepts
welfare state
economic cycles
political ideology
income distribution
Questions to Reflect On
- How do specific policies influence poverty trends?
- What role should government play in alleviating poverty?
A Different Perspective
Economic growth alone cannot guarantee poverty reduction without targeted social programs.
![“The crisis [the Great Depression] discovered a great man in Franklin Roosevelt...None too soon he has carried America forward to the second stage of democratic realization. His New Deal involves such collective controls of the national business that it would be absurd to call it anything but…” quote by H. G. Wells](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/772/h-g-wells-1122_absurd_the-crisis-the-great-depression-discover_120950.jpg)
![“You can't really move forward until you look back. [From Remaking America panel discussion at George Washington University]” quote by Cornel West](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/273/cornel-west-708_george-w_you-can-t-really-move-forward-until-you_37313.jpg)
